Final Fantasy: Shadow Knights
by MeiDarkreign
Summary: Dracia is a mysterious Shadow Knight. Trangan is a young mercenary. Unknown to them, their fates are intwined and destined to be braided tight together. Please R
1. Default Chapter

A/N This is my first FF fic, so any advice is appreciated. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The clouds were black and threatened to open up and deluge the city. Thunder scared away birds and little children, and lightening kept the airships at bay. This weather smashed everyone's spirits. Well, almost everyone's spirits.  
  
Dracia was used to this type of weather. She had grown up with it her whole life. She believed that these pitiful people had no concept of bad weather. This weather was paradise to her. The only thing about it that she did not like was that rain could rust her sword. Some thief had taken her scabbard earlier that day.  
  
Well, nothing she could do about that. The little imp had probably already sold it for a measly amount of gil. No use searching for the thief just to get back some gil. Besides, she had a tight schedule to keep to. The regent would get testy if she were late. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Oh crap! These guys are relentless! The tall man heaved slightly as he ran for his life. The guards had caught him with the regent's daughter and they weren't going to let him off easy. Though, he thought they were just a little too protective. He just stopped to say hi to her and they were chasing him down like a dog.  
  
"Get back here you worthless cur! We'll teach you not to mess with the regent's daughter!" The guards were fast, but not fast enough.  
  
"Mess with? All I did was say 'hi'! Is that a crime now, or what?" He drew his spear and threw it into the wall that surrounded the castle. He jumped and swung up and over the wall. Oh well, he thought, I can get a new one in town. The guards didn't follow him. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
It still was not raining as Dracia worked her way through the cobbled streets. She heard shouts as she came closer to the castle. She shrugged them off. Those guards were always vying for an excuse to yell at someone or something.  
  
As she got nearer she could see a dark haired, tall man running towards her. She rolled her eyes. When he got in range she picked up a rock and chucked it at his torso. He noticed her and stopped.  
  
"Oh, um, hi Dracia. What's, uh, up?" He glanced around for something to use to defend himself.  
  
Dracia walked up to him. "You aren't in trouble Trangan, yet. What did you do this time?" Her cold eyes bore into his.  
  
"All I did was say hi to Lady Felnei and they went nuts!"  
  
"That explains it. Well, you had better get your ass out of here or those guards are going to be all over it."  
  
"Yes ma'am!" Trangan ran off.  
  
Dracia laughed. The guards never went outside of the castle walls. Well, the regular guards never did. But Shadow Knights like herself did. However, Trangan had always believed her to be a regular guard and that all the other guards were like her. She always loved to trick him. He was so gullible.  
  
She shook her head. Oh, well. She'd have to laugh later over a drink at the pub. Right now, she had to check in with the regent or he'd be pissed. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A/N So, how'd you like it? Please R&R. 


	2. Javis, the Black Mage

"Javis! How many times do I have to tell you? Don't hit that bell! You'll put the people into a panic!" A porky man yelled at a young man near the bell.  
  
The man had accidentally hit the bell with a thunder spell. He actually hit the metal target below the bell tower first, but the target deflected the spell to the bell, causing it to ring. "Sorry sir! I'll stop it immediately!" He ran up the ladder and stood by the bell, his hands stretched far forward. He then concentrated his magic into a blizzard spell, crossed his hands, and then shot it at the bell. The bell froze and stopped ringing.  
  
When he got down to where the porky man was, he was soundly yelled at, then dismissed for the day. Javis was a good black mage, though most people didn't realize it. He could cast a huge thunder spell and everyone would think it were nature, even if there was not a single cloud in then sky. He sighed as he walked down the street. No one, not even his teacher, knew how good he was.  
  
He sighed again, then headed for the pub.  
  
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The bartender shook his head. When rain was imminent, all the low-lives seemed to pour into his pub. However, he did have a twinge of sympathy for a few of these people, since they seemed to have no other comfort than a glass of ale.  
  
Trangan had no real reason for coming into the pub, except that he had no desire to face Dracia, or any other guard for that matter, sober. At least Dracia would go easy on him if he were drunk.  
  
He tipped back several drinks but he still was not drunk. He finally said screw it and decided to leave. He was so intent on becoming drunk, that he wouldn't become drunk. Luck hated him.  
  
As he opened the door to leave a young man bumped into him. "Oh, sorry. Wasn't watching where I was going." Trangan shook his head. He couldn't get angry at a kid.  
  
"It's ok kid. Happens all the time." He rubbed his hand into the kid's light hair.  
  
"I'm not a kid." The young man went inside. Well, at least it wasn't raining outside.  
  
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Dracia was glad she got inside the palace right before it started to rain. A second later and she'd be soaked. The guards saluted as she passed them. Servants bowed as she passed. A Shadow Knight was someone that should never be messed with and everyone in the palace knew that.  
  
It took her less than ten minutes to get to the regents formal chambers. Two Shadow Knights stood outside, guarding the door. "I'm sorry, but the regent is in a meeting at this present moment, Dracia. Unless your daily report has changed, we'll tell him that everything is well."  
  
"Everything is well. Thanks." She walked off to the regent's daughter's chambers. She figured that she would like to know that Trangan was fine.  
  
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Felnei was reading when she heard a knock on her door. She stood up from the windowsill and went to answer the door. "Who is it?" She asked through the door.  
  
"It is Dracia." Felnei opened the door. "So, you got Trangan in trouble again."  
  
Felnei looked down with her dark green eyes. "I know. All he did was come in here and say hi, then the guards started chasing him. He had to jump out the window to get away. Oh, I hope he didn't hurt himself."  
  
Dracia laughed. "Trangan was fine, or at least he ran well. I do not believe he was hurt, though he was scared to death when he saw me."  
  
Felnei laughed too. "Well, you did hold him upside down on top of the castle, threatening to drop him and them feed him to the monsters."  
  
"Well, he's the idiot who set fire to my room. He was so lucky that I was in a fairly good mood that day, or else, well you know what would have happened."  
  
Felnei stopped laughing. "He likes you, you know. Whenever he saw you around, well, before the fire incident, his eyes lit up and he ran and hid from you."  
  
"Hmph. Well he's out of luck. Besides, he was deathly afraid of me when he ran into me in town today."  
  
Felnei laughed loudly. "Men are so weird."  
  
Dracia looked out the window and said sadly, "Yes, they are." 


	3. Calniq, the Thief

A/N Sorry I haven't updated in awhile. After New Year's I'll probably be updating regularly. Hope you enjoy this chapter.  
  
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"Get your ass out of here or it'll be gone!" An angry man threw a woman out of the restaurant and into the rain. He slammed the door shut. The woman stood from the soaked ground and walked over to a building with an overhanging roof. She wiped her dark hair out of her face and checked to make sure that her daggers were well protected from the rain. They were.  
  
She sighed and sank to the ground. A thief she was, but a good thief she was not. She couldn't even pickpocket a few gil, let alone jewels. Fortunately, the man at the restaurant didn't injure her because she was a woman. But that was the only reason, and she knew that well.  
  
Knowing that, she also knew to steer clear of the Shadow Knights, for she knew for a fact that the fiercest among their ranks was a woman, and she did not want to be on the other end of her attack. Too bad she could never become a Shadow Knight due to her lineage. She was not of noble blood, and even if she were, she had little to offer as a Shadow Knight. The only reason the one woman became a Shadow Knight was because she was from Tentia, and Tentian's were known to be powerful.  
  
Stupid Tentian's, she thought. Why the hell did they have to come to Dancia?  
  
"Hey, Calniq, what are you doing out in the rain?" A young man stood before her holding out his hand. She accepted it.  
  
"Javis," Calniq said, sighing, "What are you doing out in the rain?"  
  
He smiled. "Trying to get you out of it."  
  
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Dracia wandered around the streets. She had lost her desire for ale. She now wanted to find Trangan. He had been on her mind ever since Lady Felnei mentioned him liking her. She couldn't imagine Trangan liking her, at least not like that. He had always been a friend of Lady Felnei's, and an acquaintance of hers, but nothing more than that. Well, he certainly wouldn't be liking her anymore, due to that fire incident. Too bad, she thought. He was quite cute after all.  
  
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He was soaked, but he cared little. He'd face Dracia and get his punishment over with. He didn't know what she would do to him, but he didn't care. At least he could rest easy knowing that she wouldn't sneak up on him and kill him, or something like that.  
  
Not noticing anyone, he walked right into a woman and made both of them fall flat on the ground. He stood up and held his hand out, ready to apologize, when he realized the woman was Dracia. "Oh, uh, sorry Dracia! I really didn't mean to! I wasn't paying attention!"  
  
Dracia grabbed his hand and pulled herself up. She brushed herself off the best she could, then she laughed. "That's obvious."  
  
Trangan backed away from her. "Just hurt me already and leave me alone." He shut his eyes tight. He felt a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Trangan, I'm not going to punish you. You did nothing wrong. Talking to Lady Felnei is not a crime, although the other guards would like everyone to think that. Oh, and you might want to buy another weapon. I don't see your old spear coming out of the castle wall anytime soon." Trangan opened his eyes and saw Dracia smile a little before she left.  
  
He shook his head. "Women are weird." 


	4. Sleepless

Dracia walked solemnly up to her room. Seeing Trangan like that made her a little sad. He was afraid of her and feared even a small run-in with her. His eyes were like that of a deer caught in a snare. She should not feel this bad about it, but she couldn't help it. Lady Felnei would be sad if Trangan stopped coming to see her, and if she stayed around, Trangan may stop coming.  
  
But, that wasn't the reason at all. She knew there was a deeper reason, but her subconscious felt it did not need to make that reason known to her. It frustrated her and made her uneasy not knowing the true reason. She decided not to think on this until tomorrow, for she needed her sleep.  
  
Her room was a large one, though nowhere comparable to the size of Lady Felnei's room. The room boasted a fine black oak dresser and queen-sized bed. As well, there was a small balcony to go out onto. This room had been her home for the past three years.  
  
She pulled her blonde hair out of its long ponytail and set the strip of black leather on her dresser, then she began to undress. Her armor was the first thing that needed to be taken off. It was heavy steel and uncomfortable to wear for several hours a day. She unclasped the metal fasteners on her shoulders and pulled the breastplate over her head, setting it on the chest in front of her bed. Before she undid her shin plates, she stretched her arms and fell down on the bed. After a few moments, she took off her shin plates in an awkward manner, as she did so still lying on the bed.  
  
Her regular clothes came off next. Her boots, long-sleeved shirt, and pants came off easily compared to the armor. Next, she pulled off the mythril chain mail shirt. All she now had on was a loose undershirt and a loose pair of pants. She took those off and put on a gossamer nightgown, and then slipped into her bed.  
  
She lay awake for awhile, just staring at the ceiling and the curtains around her bed. Sleep did not want to come to her, nor did the feeling wish to leave her alone. Something was eating at her from the inside, but she did not know what it was. It was most likely something that had to do with Trangan, but she couldn't say for sure.  
  
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Trangan stared up at the ceiling, finding shapes among the dried paint swirls. So many of them reminded him of Dracia's golden hair blowing in the wind. He shook his head. How the hell could he be thinking of her like that? She tried to kill him, once. Well, it was his fault to begin with.  
  
He was trying to sneak up to Felnei's room, but he had to get into the castle first, and the only balcony window that was open was the one from Dracia's room. He climbed up to the room and went inside. Dracia was not there at the time. Without thinking, he left his lantern unattended in her room.  
  
On his way to Felnei's room, he heard a loud scream come from Dracia's room. He quickly ran over to the room and saw that it was ablaze, and that Dracia was outside in the hallway. He tried to apologize for leaving his lantern in there, but it was too late.  
  
Dracia grabbed him by his shirt collar and dragged him to the roof of the castle. There, she held him over the edge, threatening to drop him to his death. Fortunately, she seemed to come to her senses and placed him back on the roof and let him go. She hadn't said anything for the rest of that week.  
  
He felt very guilty about what had happened, so he offered to pay for everything that had been damaged and destroyed. He remembered Dracia's face when he told her that. She had just smiled softly and told him not to worry about it. She said that he barely had enough money to support himself, let alone pay for her whole room, which totaled to nearly 100,000 gil. He had been grateful that she had said that, but he still felt guilty. Dracia let him work off his guilt by doing 72 hours of community service.  
  
Dracia didn't want to kill him. She wouldn't let him pay because she too felt guilty about what had happened. Women are strange, he thought as he slid into sleep.  
  
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Calniq rested her head against Javis's shoulder as he showed her different magic spells. He seemed not to notice. She then went behind him and wrapped her arms around his middle and held him close. He noticed. He turned around and put his hand on her face. They had been friends since they were old enough to define the meaning of "friends". They could always depend on each other for anything. Even comfort. However, they knew they would never be anything more than friends, though they sure seemed to be more than friends at times.  
  
Javis smiled. Calniq smiled. They began to laugh. Javis then took Calniq's hands in his own and began to show her how to use magic spells. They did this for the rest of the night.  
  
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A/N Hope you enjoyed this chapter. 


	5. Escape!

Someone was knocking very loudly on her door. She sat up and went to it, opening it up. One of her fellow Shadow Knights stood at attention, but his eyes were focused below her head. She realized her nightgown was mostly see-through. She slapped him. "Pervert. Now, what is it?"  
  
"Lady Felnei has been kidnapped! The kidnapper left a note saying that he wanted your head in return for Lady Felnei's safety! We think we know who it is and we've sent a large force of guards and Shadow Knights to his residence." It hit Dracia hard. She knew who they were talking about. Trangan was going to be killed.  
  
"Call them off! He didn't do it!" She yelled.  
  
"How do you know he didn't do it?"  
  
She lowered her head. "I. I don't know exactly why, but. but he couldn't have."  
  
The Shadow Knight backed away. "Guards! Dracia has teamed up with the enemy! We must arrest her at once!" Dracia slammed the door and locked it. She had nothing to do with anything, but she couldn't let Trangan be killed. People were breaking down her door.  
  
"Oh, shit," she said. She had little time at all. She could only grab her sword and climb out the window. The guards charged in seconds later.  
  
Dracia scrambled her way down the castle to the ground. She could care less if people saw her with a see-through nightgown on. She just wanted to warn Trangan. And she had to hurry, or they would have his head on a silver platter.  
  
Once on the ground, she ran like hell, getting thorns in her bare feet. A metallic glint caught her eye. It was Trangan's spear that he had thrown into the castle wall. I owe you, Trangan, she thought as she used the spear to climb over the wall.  
  
The guards were coming. She had no time to find something to jump down onto. She leapt from the top of the wall, all the way down to the cobbled street below. Her ears heard a definite crack and a sharp pain ran up her left leg. It was broken and she didn't know any magic, especially curative magic. She cursed her way to Trangan's house, dragging her leg, nearly fainting from the pain.  
  
Trangan's doorstep was only three feet away, and there was no sign of guards. They must not have been dispatched as quickly as the Shadow Knight had said. People gawked at her, but she could care less. She picked up a rock from the street and chucked it hard at his door. About thirty seconds later, Trangan was out in the doorway.  
  
"Dracia! What happened to you?" He rushed over to her. She realized that her feet were bleeding, her left leg was bent back, and she was wearing barely anything. It looked as if she had been raped.  
  
"I'll explain inside. Carry me in, will you?" Trangan nodded.  
  
Inside, Trangan placed her on a small, comfortable sofa and went to get her some tea. Dracia grabbed a hold of his sleeve and held him back. "I don't need tea. Do you know any curative spells?"  
  
"No, sorry. What happened to you?" He took her hand in his. He looked very worried.  
  
"First off, I wasn't raped, which is probably what you thought. This is what I wear at night."  
  
He stared down at her exposed chest. "Whoa! How come I've never gotten the pleasure of seeing those?" Dracia punched him hard in the face. He rubbed his face. "Sorry, that was inappropriate. Anyway, please continue."  
  
"Lady Felnei has been kidnapped and they think you did it."  
  
"Felnei's missing? When did this happen?"  
  
"I don't know. Probably sometime last night. They probably figure you did it because you hang out with her all the time. I told them to call off the guards that were coming here, and then they thought I was working with you."  
  
"Guards are coming here? Ah, shit."  
  
"Anyway, I didn't have any time to get dressed, so I just grabbed my sword and ran like hell. Thorns got into my feet, so that's why my feet are bleeding. I scaled the castle wall-by the way, I thank you for leaving the spear there-and I had no time to find a soft spot to land on, so I jumped down. That's how I broke my leg. Now, do you know anyone nearby who knows curative magic?"  
  
Trangan hung his head low. "No. The only person I know of like that would be Felnei, but we obviously can't go to the castle now. Well, I do know that a black mage is being employed by Mr. Cafmer. Maybe the mage can help you. Most mages know basic mending spells, so at least he could heal your broken leg, though it would still hurt."  
  
"Fine. Can you take me to him?"  
  
"Yeah. We can sneak out the back way. But, uh, I think I'll get you some clothes first."  
  
"That would be good." Trangan went into his bedroom and Dracia could hear him scrounging through his bureau for some clothes. When he finally came out, he was holding women's clothes. "Where did you get those?" Dracia raised her eyebrow.  
  
Trangan just gave her a look. He handed the clothes to Dracia. "I hope they fit. My sister should be the same size as you, but she could be smaller. My clothes are too big for you." Dracia smirked. She had a feeling these clothes didn't belong to his "sister".  
  
Trangan turned around as Dracia changed, being an almost perfect gentleman; he sneaked a few quick peeks at her. "All right. You can turn around now." The clothes fit Dracia nearly perfectly, but there was one problem: his sister wasn't as "big" as she was, so the shirt was a bit tight near the top.  
  
"They look good. Now, let me get a hold of you and we'll get going."  
  
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Someone was pounding his door to death, and he didn't feel like getting up to answer it. "Javis! Answer the door!" No one answered him. Grumbling, he got up and answered the door. Trangan and a woman were standing there. Well, Trangan was standing; the girl was in his arms.  
  
"Mr. Cafmer, is that black mage here? I need him to mend her leg."  
  
"Can't say. Haven't seen him all morning. He might be here, hiding from me, practicing his spells. Check the back room."  
  
"Thank you." Trangan went to the back room and found a man and a woman sound asleep in each other's arms; clothes on. He lightly kicked the man in the side. "Excuse me."  
  
The man grumbled and sat up. "What is it?"  
  
"Are you a black mage?"  
  
"Yes. Why do you ask?"  
  
Trangan set Dracia down in front of him. "Can you mend her leg? It's broken."  
  
The man looked over Dracia's leg, and then nudged awake the woman. "Calniq, I need your help."  
  
"What for?" The woman's dark hair tumbled to her sides as she sleepily stood up.  
  
"This woman has a broken leg. I can mend the break, but not completely. I need you to cast a Cure spell on her after I partially mend her leg."  
  
Calniq yawned. "Fine."  
  
The man turned back to Dracia. "Please hold still." He stretched out his arms in front of him. He mumbled a phrase and light began to gather around him. As he mumbled more, the light began to condense into a sphere. When it was the size of a small rock, he closed his eyes and touched Dracia's leg. "MEND!" The sphere uncondensed and wrapped around her leg, lighting it up. The light faded gradually and then was gone. "Can you stand a bit better?"  
  
Dracia tried to stand up, finding it a little easier, but it still hurt. "Sit down and let Calniq heal you the rest of the way." Calniq, instead of stretching out her arms, put her hands together in front of her, as if she were praying. A ring of light formed around her and then floated over her and to Dracia, lowering to her middle. "CURE!" The light engulfed her body. When it faded, Dracia's feet were healed. Dracia tried to stand up and did so with little pain.  
  
"I think you did it." Dracia gingerly tested her leg, not wanting to re injure it.  
  
Trangan looked relieved. "Thank you. uh. I didn't catch your name."  
  
The man smiled. "Javis."  
  
"Well, thank you, Javis. I'm Trangan and this is Dracia. Wish we could stay, but the castle guards are after us. They think we kidnapped Lady Felnei. By the way, do you have any idea who would do something like that?"  
  
Javis stared for a moment. What a way to lay everything down. "No, I don't. Though I have heard other mages talking about getting rid of the power in Dancia. Maybe they wanted to use Lady Felnei to get to the Regent."  
  
Dracia rushed up to him. "Tell us where they are. It is my job as a Shadow.." Dracia had forgotten that Trangan didn't know she was a Shadow Knight. And that was primarily because his family had been killed by a rogue bunch of them. "It is my job as a guard of Lady Felnei's to find her and bring her back, as well to serve justice to her captors."  
  
"Whoa, take it easy. I don't know how to tell you where they are. but. but I can take you to where they probably are. It'll take a few days."  
  
"Fine."  
  
"I'm going with you," Trangan said.  
  
"That was a given," Dracia replied.  
  
"I'm going too," said the woman named Calniq.  
  
Dracia nodded her head. "Alright. It's settled then. The four of us will go to these black mages, and if they do have anything to do with the capture of Lady Felnei, we kick their asses."  
  
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A/N Whew! This is my longest chapter yet. Anyway, hope you liked it. 


	6. Taresin, the Assassin Archer

The full moon lit up the rooftops, making it easy for her to jump from roof to roof. However, the moonlight was a danger to her. An assassin should never be seen, even by moonlight. Well, she was fast, so it mattered little that people may see her. Besides, few knew of her anyway.  
  
Her target was the rebel black mage group, known as the Hell Mages. They were known to be very powerful, with spells that even surpassed the thundaga, firaga, and blizzaga spells. Fortunately, she could attack from afar.  
  
With a bow made from a cursed oak tree, and arrows made from a blood soaked ash tree, she was a deadly opponent. All of her arrows were tipped with silver heads, which easily slew most monsters. And her armor was nearly impenetrable.  
  
However, she had one weakness. She was a Tentian, and even though they were known to be strong and fast, they were powerless during a crescent moon. Though, it would not be a crescent moon for a while. So, she had a good amount of time to get rid of the Hell Mages.  
  
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"Javis, don't tell me you're lost." Trangan moaned as he, Dracia, Javis, and Calniq were walking along a neglected path. Javis gave Trangan a look.  
  
"I'm not lost. We're taking a, uh, shortcut." Javis laughed nervously.  
  
Trangan sighed. "In other words, you're lost."  
  
"Well, it's been awhile since I've gone there, okay! I just need to refresh my memory."  
  
"That's what you said an hour ago!"  
  
Dracia and Calniq were ignoring the two bickering children. They played it safe and hung a few feet back from them. It was better to stay out of the disputes of men. Although, they could always hit both of them over their heads and drag them, but it was much less tiring to ignore them.  
  
"So, Calniq, what do you do, exactly?" Dracia asked.  
  
"Oh, I'm a, well, promise you won't tell?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Well, I'm a thief. I know I shouldn't but I have to so I can get by, even if it's on bread and water."  
  
"I understand. My hometown was riddled with young thieves. For these people, it was the only way to survive. I was never a thief, but that's because I come from a wealthy family."  
  
"I guess. So, have you been a fighter for a long time?"  
  
"No, actually. I started to learn how to fight about four years ago. Before that, I was learning how to be a housewife."  
  
"A housewife? That's boring."  
  
"Yeah. My parents arranged my marriage to a man that I hated. I ran away before the wedding and joined a martial arts school. That's where I learned how to fight."  
  
"How good are you?"  
  
"I've killed many people."  
  
"Oh."  
  
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A/N Sorry it's short. I'll make up for it in other chapters. 


	7. A meeting of Tentians

A/N I've kind of decided something. I will probably only keep updating this and my OS fic for awhile. It is really hard to keep updating two fics, let alone four. However, I have not abandoned the other fics, just putting them on hiatus for now.  
  
Hope you enjoy this chapter.  
  
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"Ya know, ya could have warned us before we left that village that we were running low on food! It's not difficult. Just open up your trap and say something. We all know you can." Javis paced angrily in front of Trangan.  
  
The four of them had stopped for a lunch break five miles outside the nearest village, near the dirt path. Several large boulders and an abundance of trees made it an ideal spot to rest. However, once they sat down and opened up their packs, they discovered they only had a day's rations left.  
  
"Oh, so it's my fault! Why is it my fault? I didn't do anything!"  
  
"Exactly, so it's your fault?"  
  
"My fault! How in the hell can it be my fault when you could just as easily have opened your trap!"  
  
Trangan and Javis traded curses. They had not gotten along at any point. And neither of them knew why they didn't like each other, they just didn't. Calniq and Dracia, on the other hand, got along just fine. They weren't buddy-buddy, but they would talk to pass the time, and they didn't yell at each other. However, they yelled quite profusely at the men several times.  
  
Javis and Trangan were at each other's throats and probably would have ripped them out, if it hadn't been for the stranger that passed by. She limped heavily and was leaning on a long, wooden bow. Blood was left in her trail. She made her way slowly to them.  
  
"Please, I need medical attention. Do any of you know any curative magic?" She said softly. She must have had a high endurance level to still stand.  
  
Calniq went over to the woman, gathering energy as she walked. When she reached her, she released the magic. "CURE!" The woman's body lit up and then gradually faded. "Are you alright?"  
  
The woman stopped leaning against the bow and stood straight. "Yes, thank you. Are you a white mage?"  
  
"No. That cure spell is the only spell I know. But I know it well. So, who are you, exactly?"  
  
"My name is Taresin. I am an archer from Tentia." Upon hearing that name, Dracia bolted from her spot.  
  
"You're from Tentia? How is the city doing? Is the king safe?" Dracia ran up to Taresin.  
  
"The city is fine, and so is the king. Now, who are you?" Taresin studied Dracia with cold eyes. That was one of the Tentians' attributes: dark eyes.  
  
"I am Dracia Fel." Dracia paused. "Dracia Talson. I am a guard to Regent Ander's daughter. He is the regent of Dancia." Dracia sighed. She had almost let loose a terrible thing from her past. Her last name. It was not only a name, but a horrid legacy, from horrid lineage. Her family was wealthy, yes, but also very corrupt.  
  
Taresin held her hand out to Dracia. "Nice to meet you. So, what are you all doing?"  
  
Javis chose to answer this question. "We're heading to Chentia to talk to a group of black mages."  
  
"Chentia? You aren't talking about the Hell Mages, are you?"  
  
"Hell Mages? Well, it might be the same group, but I never knew them by any name. My instructor was the one to introduce me to them. They seemed nice, although they like to talk about overthrowing Dancia a lot, but-Ow!" Trangan hit Javis hard on the head.  
  
"Just give everything away to a complete stranger," he muttered.  
  
Javis winced and rubbed his head where Trangan had hit him. "Anyway, what are you doing?"  
  
Taresin hesitated. "Well, I was trying to get away from Chentia, away from the Hell Mages. They were the ones that injured me. I'll warn you right now. If you bump into them, run like holy hell, because they will blast you to shreds. My armor was the only thing that saved me. Don't take my advice lightly, either. It's the truth.  
  
"Well, I had better get going to the next town to repair my armor. Then I have to head back to Chentia."  
  
"Why head back there?"  
  
Taresin started to leave and did not stop. "I still have not completed my mission."  
  
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A/N If you don't remember who Taresin is, she's the archer I mentioned in the last chapter. I never said her name, except in the title of the chapter, so I wanted to make sure you all know who Taresin is. "See ya, for now." 


	8. Night Travel

The moon shone bright and moonlight made the trees and rocks give off ghastly shadows that danced and flitted about the ground. No one wanted to stop tonight, for it was well known that thieves and barbarians called these roads paradise. Javis led the way, due to his flare magic. Calniq was behind Javis, keeping her hands on his shoulders. The night scared her and she wanted to feel safe.  
  
Dracia was behind Calniq. She was a Shadow Knight and part of that name meant she was well suited for nighttime combat. Her sword sang shrilly as she ran the whetstone up it. Her sword was already sharp, but the sound was known to keep troublemakers away. And if trouble showed itself, her blade would rip through them like it would slice through warm butter.  
  
When it came to fighting, she was the best around, and no one, after fighting her, would doubt that. She seemed quite nice most of the time. However, she was completely heartless during a fight. That was one thing that made Tentians so strong. They were human, but only just. Their adrenaline was much more powerful and they could feed off of it for days if they wished to.  
  
This was how Trangan's village had been destroyed. A small, but powerful force of rogue, Tentian Shadow Knights came to his village late at night. They left no one alive. Trangan had been in Dancia at the time. He was the only one. Soon after, Lady Felnei had introduced him to her. But beforehand, Felnei had warned her not to say that she was a Tentian Shadow Knight. However, she could not keep that a secret from him forever. She cared for him, and didn't want to lie to him.  
  
Trangan was taking up the rear. Not because he was a man and he had to protect the women, but because Calniq and Dracia had made him. They couldn't stand his arguing with Javis. So, they separated him and Javis.  
  
He was swinging around the new spear he had picked up in town. He was a good fighter, but he preferred Guerilla Warfare, based on the principles of hit and run tactics. If he could avoid a long fight, he did. It wasn't that he was a coward, just that he didn't like getting hurt. Although, Dracia hurt him when she was angry, so that theory of his usually got shot out the window. He didn't like getting hurt, but he like when Dracia was hurting him, because that meant she was paying attention to him.  
  
He never got much attention from her, until now. She would always be watching Felnei, but ignored him, unless he did something foolish, then she hit him. Well, some attention is better than no attention.  
  
A wolf howled out in the distance, singing to its brethren. Calniq winced and clenched Javis's shoulders tighter. "Calniq, you're hurting my shoulders," he whispered.  
  
She let go quickly. "Oh, sorry."  
  
"It's alright."  
  
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A/N I know this one was short, but it explained some things. I hope you liked this chapter. I'll try to update in a few days, or less. Until then "See ya." 


	9. A warm bed

A/N Sorry I haven't updated in awhile. Here's the next chapter.  
  
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The stone wall crumbled as his fist hit it with amazing force. His opponent had just barely escaped a fatal blow, but he was badly wounded. The small man struggled to get away from him, but he would not let him leave alive. He grabbed the man by his tangled hair and twisted hard. His neck broke and his windpipe collapsed. He died instantly.  
  
The other man wiped his hands against each other. This was just another day's work for him. Nothing was different about this one. He fell just as quickly as all the others had. Well, it was not the least bit surprising. No one fought against a member of the Guild and lived. Except for the Hell Mages. They were the only ones that could survive against them.  
  
That reminded him. His fiancé had gone to fight them a few days ago and she still had not returned. He knew she would not die easily, but then, she was only flesh and bone. And flesh could be torn through easily.  
  
He sighed and pushed his blond hair out of his face and looked to the moon with his dark eyes. The moon was growing closer and closer to a crescent moon every day. He wished he could suppress it, because becoming powerless, even for a day, was a very bad thing.  
  
If Taresin was still with the Hell Mages, and they were beating her, on the crescent moon, she would die. No Tentian could survive a good beating when their power was drained. Not even the queen herself.  
  
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The little town was quite, except for what appeared to be a pub. They all needed to find the inn, or else they would collapse and sleep in the dirt. Dracia could have kept going, due to her Tentian adrenaline, but the others could not. And she did not want to carry them.  
  
Trangan dragged his feet and leaned against Calniq and Dracia, whichever was closer at the time. Calniq walked wearily, but she did not lean on anyone. Javis was still pumped up with a bit of energy. Since he was a black mage, he could feed off of his magical energy for a time so as to stay awake and aware.  
  
They all had been fortunate and had not been attacked during their journey to the town. There were plenty of things that liked to make scary sounds, but Dracia's blade-sharpening kept them at a good distance. No one wanted to mess with a person who was waiting for an attack. Most barbarians and thieves needed the element of surprise on their side to overtake a group of travelers.  
  
Dracia was rarely waiting for an attack. Half the time, in fact, she was sharpening her blade absent-mindedly. It was a forced habit. The streets of Tentia at night are dangerous grounds. She had been taught to do this to ward of trouble. It usually worked.  
  
They found the inn nestled in a quiet corner of the town. A few lights were on, so they thought it alright to go inside. A candle was lit at the front desk, giving off a minimal amount of light. A woman was behind the front desk, taking a nap. Dracia walked up to the woman and tapped her shoulder.  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
The woman stirred. "What? Oh, sorry, must have dozed off. What can I do for you?"  
  
"We would like a room. One with two beds preferably."  
  
"Alright. We do have a few rooms like that available. It will be 100 gil for the night."  
  
Dracia pulled out her coin bag and handed the woman 100 gil. "Thank you. Have a pleasant stay."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The room was big, but nothing fancy. It did smell sweet though. The two beds were only twin sized, but that wouldn't be much of a problem. The guys could sleep on one bed, the girls on the other. However, that plan didn't seem to want to work.  
  
Javis walked to the bed on the left side and laid down, shoving off his shoes. Trangan knew what he was supposed to do, but he decided to sleep on the floor. He wouldn't be near to Javis at all, especially in a bed. Dracia slipped off her clothes and went into the other bed. She didn't want to sleep naked, but her clothes were filthy, and they would make sleeping very uncomfortable.  
  
Calniq, seeing as Trangan was sleeping on the floor, and that Dracia was sleeping naked, she took it as a hint and slipped into bed beside Javis. He noticed, but just smiled, turned over, and slept. Calniq was asleep when her head hit the pillow.  
  
Sleep did not come easy to Dracia. To much was on her mind. That Tentian Taresin could have ruined everything. Fortunately, she did not recognize Dracia as a member of the corrupt family. As well, she thought about Lady Felnei, and how she was going to get her out of the Hell Mages' grasp.  
  
Something was rolling on the floor, causing a bit of noise. It wasn't much, but it was a grand cacophony to Dracia. She sat up and looked to the floor. Trangan was tossing and turning, his eyes open, apparently trying to get to sleep. "Trangan," Dracia whispered, "you're making too much noise."  
  
"Well, I can't sleep. This floor is really hard," he whispered.  
  
Dracia thought about something for a second. "Trangan, just come into bed. You're going to need your rest for tomorrow."  
  
"Both beds are taken."  
  
"You can still fit into mine. Just take off your shirt and come into bed. It will be much more comfortable that way."  
  
"Why take off my shirt?"  
  
"Because it will irritate my skin if you keep it on. Your pants, well, they will too, but I'm not wearing anything, so I'd rather you keep your pants on."  
  
Trangan looked at Dracia. She wasn't wearing anything. He smiled. "Fine. And don't worry, I'll keep to my side of the bed, or you'll slam my head through the wall."  
  
"Yes, I will. Now, come into bed."  
  
"Yes ma'am." He stood up and took off his shirt. He looked good with his shirt off. You wouldn't think it when his shirt was on, but he was very well-built and he had a good set of muscles on him.  
  
He slipped into the right side of Dracia's bed and hugged the edge close. He wanted to be close to her, but then she would rip his head off, or worse, she could rip his.well, it was better not to think off that.  
  
He closed his eyes and sleep came easily. When he was sound asleep, Dracia leaned over him and gently kissed him on the cheek. "Good night."  
  
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A/N So, how was that? Hope it was good. It was a lot longer than most of my chapters. I told you I would make up for the last one being so short. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it. 


	10. Heaven

A/N I have neglected to put a disclaimer on this fic, and this is the tenth chapter! Man, I am really lazy. Anyway, here is the disclaimer for anyone who cares.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy. Square Enix does. However, I do own all of the characters in this fic.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*  
  
He was surprisingly comfortable in the small bed, even though he was trying to be careful around Dracia. The covers covered most of Dracia, but he was still quite warm. The inn must have had a good source of heat. He opened his eyes and saw that the room was light. It must have been morning already.  
  
Trangan tried very carefully to sit up, not wanting to disturb Dracia, but he found he could not. Something had a hold on him. He peered down at his chest and saw two slender arms wrapped around it. He turned his head around carefully and saw Dracia lying against his back with her arm around him.  
  
His heart began to beat very rapidly. She was actually touching him, willingly. At least he couldn't get in trouble for this, since she was the one touching him. He smiled and laid back down. He would let her sleep. He knew she probably did not get enough of it.  
  
Against his better judgment, he brought his arm around to her waist and placed it there softly. She did not move at all. Her skin was warm and soft. It surprised him. He thought her skin would have been calloused from being a guard, but he was wrong. It was the softest thing he had felt. He, again against his better judgment, softly stroked her skin. Again, she did not move. He began to worry a little. Dracia usually was the first one awake, but now she was fast asleep and not resisting his touch.  
  
He moved his hand gently up her body, stopping below her chest. He felt her skin move up and down in an unchanging rhythm. He sighed and moved his hand back to her waist. This was for real. She was touching him willingly, and he was touching her without protest. This was heaven.  
  
"Hey! It looks like you guys finally gave into your urges!" Trangan heard Javis say. This made both Dracia and Trangan bolt up.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Dracia asked. She covered her chest with the covers, exposing Trangan, who still had his brown hide pants on.  
  
"Oh, never mind. I thought you guys finally, well, you know." He looked a bit disappointed.  
  
Dracia knew what he was talking about. "You think we had sex? What the hell are you on? Trangan was choosing to sleep on the floor, but he couldn't get to sleep, which was disturbing me. So, I invited him to sleep in my bed. I slept with nothing on because my clothes are filthy and would be uncomfortable to sleep in. I asked Trangan to take off his shirt because hide irritates my bare skin."  
  
"But his pants are made of the same thing, so why did you not ask him to take off his pants?"  
  
She looked coldly at him. "You know why."  
  
"Well then, why were your arms wrapped around his chest and why was Trangan stroking your skin?" Dracia shot a hard glance at Trangan, but Javis did not notice.  
  
"What do you mean?" Trangan asked. "You must have been imagining it. We weren't doing anything of the sort."  
  
"Exactly," Dracia added.  
  
Javis rolled his eyes. "Sure. Right. Uh huh. You just keep thinking that. Anyway, it's about ten o'clock, so it might be a good idea for us to get breakfast and then head out. I'll wake up Calniq. You two get dressed."  
  
When he went to wake up Calniq, Dracia turned sharply around to face Trangan. "You were stroking me?" She was pissed.  
  
Trangan backed up into the wall. "Wait a second. Don't forget that you had your arms around me also." Dracia blushed.  
  
"Sorry, about, that. I guess, I guess I was just feeling cold and you felt like a big warm, fluffy pillow. You are quite soft."  
  
"Excuse me! I have big muscles and my body is in great shape!"  
  
Dracia laughed. "I meant your skin." She brought her hand up and stroked his chest for a moment then took it away. "It is smooth and feels nice." She smiled at him, but this was a different kind of smile. This smile made him fill fluttery inside. He blushed now.  
  
He brought his hand to her shoulder and stroked it. "Your skin is soft too." He smiled back at her.  
  
"You know, I'm going to have to hurt you for this later." She leaned close to him.  
  
He leaned in and tilted his head. "I know." He went in for the goal.  
  
"Hey, Dracia, Trangan. Are you guys ready yet?" That was Javis.  
  
Trangan moved away. "Almost. Be patient." He stood up and got out of the bed and put on his shirt. He handed Dracia her clothes and she got changed under the sheets. It took them only as few minutes to get fully situated and then they all went downstairs and out of the inn. They then headed to a small restaurant for breakfast.  
  
None of them spoke more than a few words during breakfast, so they finished quite quickly. Trangan paid the waiter and all four of them headed outside.  
  
Across from them, near the road leading to Chentia, was the Tentian woman they had met yesterday. How did she get here so quickly? Well, if she were going to Chentia, it would perhaps not be such a bad idea to have her along, if she wanted to go with them.  
  
They approached her. "Taresin, was it?" Dracia asked.  
  
The woman turned around. "Yes. Oh, you are the kind people I met on the road. Thank you again for helping me back there."  
  
"Not a problem. We couldn't just leave you there."  
  
"So, did you want to ask me something? Or are you just here to say hi?" Taresin fiddled with her longbow.  
  
"We wanted to ask you if you would be interested in going with us to Chentia. We are going there and any extra company would be great. So, what do you say?"  
  
Taresin considered this. She was fully healed, but still. She was only one woman. Having help would be excellent. "Sure. Why not? I'm all ready to go if you are."  
  
"Great. Well, shall we proceed?" Dracia turned to the others. They nodded their heads. "Well then, let us go."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N I hope you liked this chapter. 


	11. Tentia

A/N I am so lazy. It's been what, two weeks, since I put up the last chapter? Well, I have a reason. I've been updating my Outlaw Star fic, and started a sequel to it, so I've been a bit busy. Plus with school, you've got to imagine how much time I don't have. Anyway, here's the next chapter.  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
The city of Chentia was a large center of commerce. People from all over the continent came here to trade, sell, and buy goods, and sometimes picking up new skills from better craftsmen. This was a normal routine on a normal day, but many days were not normal.  
  
Chentia bore another name: Tentia. However, few actually new of this, except for the Tentians themselves. What many did not realize was that the Tentians were an endangered race. Everyone believed the Tentians to be a plentiful race that lived in a faraway land called Tentia. This was true, once upon a time. However, they were driven out of their homeland and forced to settle in a new land. They wished to keep their new settlement named Tentia, and they did, but only amongst themselves. It was known as Chentia to the general public.  
  
The Tentians had a king; however, he was also the Chentian king. The king was a Tentian, but he liked the Chentians and did not discriminate against them. Everyone loved the king. Except for a certain group of people: The Hell Mages. They hated him and would try anything to destroy him, but they always failed, due to Kanshei, the king's personal bodyguard. As well, Kanshei's fiancé, Taresin, protected him as well, and she was nearly as good of a fighter as Kanshei, though she specialized in long range attacks, while Kanshei attacked directly with his fists.  
  
And when the crescent moon was upon them, a strong force of Chentian and Dancian black, red, and white mages stood ready to defend all of them. The king was well protected from even the Hell Mages and he made it a point to make it known to everyone. This kept the Hell Mages at bay. However, they did have their occasional plots and schemes to take him out, but the plans were never put into action.  
  
The jade steps resonated heeled shoes rapping gently on them as an armor- clad woman made her way to the throne room. She was a Chentian Shade Knight, but she hailed from Dancia. She bore white-silver armor that consisted of a breastplate, forearm guards, upper arm guards, shin and calf guards, and chain mail underneath her leather clothing, which was just a long-sleeved shirt and a skirt. Her hair was milky white and her eyes shared the jade color of the steps.  
  
She had business with King Dacian. King Dacian was a king, but he was not married, and by law, he needed to be by his eighteenth birthday, and that was in one month. Although, finding a wife was his easiest task. He had more important matters to worry about. Like, where was the wedding going to take place, who was going to be the priest, and who would take rule the city for a few weeks while he was off on his honeymoon?  
  
These questions would soon be answered, as she was going to ask them in a few moments. This seemed to be a trivial matter to most people, but to her, it was an important issue.  
  
The glass doors were guarded by two Chentian Mist Knights, lower in rank than the Shade Knights, but near as powerful. The Knights bowed deeply and opened the doors for her and closed them when she was inside.  
  
King Dacian was walking calmly about the room, looking around at the silver tapestries. He did not stop when she entered, but did slow down. She walked over to him and he stopped. "Come to badger me again with wedding plans?" He had a cocky tone to his voice.  
  
"Yes, I have. You neglect them, and your bride does not wish to be kept in the dark about the plans." Dacian smiled, his dark eyes brightening.  
  
"Well, we can not have that, now can we?" He stroked her cheek and ran his hand down to her chin and tilted it, placing his lips on hers. Their kiss was short lived, but sweetly felt. "So, what has my lovely bride come to ask me?" He fingered a thin strand of her hair and twisted it about his middle finger while gazing into her beautiful eyes.  
  
She was about to say something, but refrained for the moment. She gave in to his playful attitude and stroked through his gold hair. She tilted her head and went to kiss his smooth lips, but he turned his head and her lips landed below his ear. She put on a playful frown. "What's wrong?"  
  
Dacian turned his head back. "Nothing is wrong. I just believe we should discuss the wedding plans in a more private place. This is a personal matter."  
  
Her eyebrows rose. She had an idea of what he was implying, but she wanted to be sure. "Where do you suggest we discuss this then?"  
  
A grin graced his face. "In my quarters."  
  
She was correct in her assumption. She had no problem with it either. "On your bed, I presume."  
  
Dacian pulled her close and placed one hand at her waist and another on the back of her upper thigh. "Of course, unless you wish to be seen by anyone who passes this room. Those doors are clear glass, you know."  
  
She moved her hands to his and removed them. "Your quarters will serve our purpose well enough."  
  
"Very well."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The city bustled with business; at least a hundred people were present in just a small area. It amazed Dracia how much this city had changed from four years ago. The Tentia she knew had been dirty and treacherous, but this Tentia was clean and seemed very safe. Although, hidden dangers would always be present.  
  
They needed to find an inn to rest at, but Taresin insisted that they go with her to where she stayed. She gave no clue as to where this was, but as tired as they all were, they could care less. All they wanted was a nice bed.  
  
Walking through the city made Dracia nervous. It had been four years since she left. She hoped to everything that she would not have to face any of her kin. She knew she was a disgrace to her family. She was supposed to get married, but she ran away from Tentia and vowed to never return. But, here she was.  
  
They passed several inns and residential areas and they began to wonder where Taresin was taking them. The buildings began to thin and part as they continued on. As they walked, Dracia began to realize where she was taking them: the castle. This was a bad thing for Dracia. She would have to face her kin. There was no way around it.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A/N How did you like it? I hope it was worth the wait. And, I'm starting to type the twelfth chapter right now, so that one should be up in a day or two since I have a three day weekend starting tomorrow. 


	12. Lies

A/N I am so sorry for neglecting this fic. I hope this chapter is redemption for that. This chapter is going to be probably my largest chapter so far for this fic.  
  
Content Advisory: This chapter is rated R for sexual content. I am just putting a warning on here so nobody is offended or anything like that.  
  
Hope you enjoy this chapter.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The castle had a presence about it that made people shiver. However, it was not the castle that made Dracia nervous; it was the person who was inside of it. She had run away from this city four years ago and now she had returned.  
  
Two guards greeted them at the door and opened them. The hinges whined slightly and swung the doors apart, revealing a large entrance hall. The floors, walls, and ceiling were all comprised of jade, a seemingly fragile material. However, it looked to be in excellent condition. Two sets of staircases wound up the sides of the hall and led to a balcony that seemed to lead to a large chamber. Below the balcony was a hallway that went straight back for a few feet and then branched off to both sides. Taresin led all four of them up the left staircase.  
  
The steps resonated their boots hitting them, sending soft twangs throughout the hall. Each step was constructed perfectly and was decorated with ornate carved figures. A figure that was present throughout all the steps was a snake wrapped around a rose. This seemed to be the royal crest.  
  
At the top of the steps were two glass doors, each carefully guarded. Taresin approached them. "I am back from my mission. I failed unfortunately. However, you see these four people here? They healed my wounds and also wish to destroy the Hell Mages. As it stands now, I owe them my life, so they shall be my guests here in the castle. However, I need to make sure the king knows about them." Her voice had a commanding tone and a feel of superiority to it. She was of a higher rank than they were.  
  
They both nodded and stepped away from the door. They did not open them for her. She pulled out a small crystal from a necklace around her neck and tapped it against the doors. They began to glow and then slowly opened. When the opening was large enough for all of them to fit through, they proceeded into the chamber.  
  
Two men were present in the room, both bearing blond hair and dark blue eyes. As soon as Taresin stepped through the threshold, the man standing had her in his muscular arms, caressing her back and kissing her with all his being. He stepped half a step back but still held on to her. "I'm so glad you're alright," he whispered to her.  
  
"I'm glad to see you too, Kanshei. Has everything been alright here?" Taresin looked warmly into her fiancé's eyes. It had been only a few days since she last stared into them, but those few days had seemed much longer.  
  
Kanshei smiled lightly and stroked her shoulder. "Everything has been, well, normal." His eyes shifted to the other man, who was just now rising from the throne.  
  
Taresin knew what this meant. The king had been behaving badly, with assistance from Carlin, a female Shade Knight, his fiancé. He was to be married in a month, just after his eighteenth birthday, and until then he was supposed to refrain from sleeping with Carlin, but lately he began to, and nobody put up much of an argument. They were in love, so it should matter little what they did in private. However, Kanshei and Taresin did scold both of them when they did misbehave, but only a light scolding. Those two were so cute together and it was hard to stay mad at them.  
  
"I see." She glared with a smile at the king. Formalities between them and the king had been thrown out long ago. Kanshei and Taresin were like older siblings, so formalities had no use. "So, where is Carlin? Shouldn't she be here too?"  
  
The king smiled. "She had business to attend to. Now, what brings you with those four here?"  
  
"When I fought the Hell Mages I was badly injured and had to flee from Chentia, otherwise they would have caught and killed me. These people, without any offer of a favor, healed my wounds. They also seek the Hell Mages. Since I am in their debt, I believed it would be only proper to invite them to stay in the castle for the duration of their stay in Chentia. I do not believe they will cause any problems. So, do I have your permission to allow them to stay in the castle?"  
  
The king, who was thin, but well built, walked up to Taresin and stopped next to her and Kanshei. Dracia noticed how all of them bore blond hair and dark blue eyes, and she was not the only one to notice this, but she was the only one to realize what this meant. She would have to speak up soon. Once the king got a good look at her----  
  
"I see not a single reason to not let them stay here. After all, they did save one of my best bodyguards. However, I would like to get a good look at all of them." He began to walk a bit closer to them. Dracia had to speak up now.  
  
"You are all Tentians, aren't you? And this city, Chentia, is also known as Tentia, if I am correct?" Her heart now raced. If she had kept her mouth shut, perhaps he would have overlooked her. No, he couldn't. He knew her face well and would have recognized it, if not today, then in another day or so.  
  
Everyone in the room focused their attention on Dracia. The king spoke. "How do you know that?" he said, just realizing that she too had blonde hair and dark blue eyes.  
  
Dracia's fists clenched slightly. She had to go through with this. If she did not, she would never be able to look at herself in a mirror again. She could not be a coward. "Dacian, I believe you know why." The king, upon hearing his name, walked up to Dracia and looked carefully at her. His eyes widened.  
  
"Dracia?"  
  
Dracia lowered her head and her muscles tightened. She was so afraid of this moment. She held her head up to look into Dacian's eyes. "Yes, it's me. I have returned."  
  
Everybody, except for Dacian, gave her a surprised glance. What was she talking about? Dacian had on his face a look of anger, not surprise.  
  
"It has been four years, Dracia, and now you decide to come back? Why? You disgraced our family and ruined our name. Our line of royalty should have never been broken, but you broke it." His dark eyes went cold. Dracia's did the same.  
  
"I did not count on coming to the castle. I came to Tentia to rescue the daughter of Dancia's Regent Ander, Lady Felnei. We believe the Hell Mages took her and I came here, very hesitantly I might add. And I never planned on being a disgrace to this family, but I could not marry that man!" Her face was growing steadily crimson.  
  
"It was not a matter open for you to discuss! You were the queen of Tentia and you threw that away just because you disliked the man you were to marry!" Dacian's face grew crimson as well.  
  
"I barely knew him! At least you have your choice of women! I had no such courtesy!" She was nearly screaming at this point.  
  
Dacian was about to yell again, but Trangan stopped him. "Wait a moment, please! First of all, what the hell is going on?" Trangan looked very angry and it seemed to be directed towards Dracia. She could not blame him. She had lied to him about almost every fraction of her existence. Now, she needed to tell him, even though he would most likely cease to be her friend. Let alone something more than a friend.  
  
Dracia turned to Trangan with watery eyes. "I'll tell you everything. However, you will probably want me dead afterwards." She took in a deep breath. "I was the first born to Asiatus and Mariw Feletious and I was born a princess. My full name is Dracia Feletious, not Dracia Talson as I told you when we first met. Being the first-born, I was the heir to the throne. Dacian here, my brother who is four years my junior, was the second-born. We were the only children born to our parents.  
  
"We were both brought up to rule, I more sternly than my brother. We quickly learned everything about politics in the kingdom and how to deal with them. We even had to rule the kingdom for a whole week by ourselves, although our parents kept a close watch. I seemed better at it, though Dacian was still a boy and had not learned the necessary skills that I had.  
  
"When I turned was seventeen, I was given the title queen, although my parents still held more power than I did. With this title I gained new responsibilities, such as ruling the kingdom while they were away and deciding how to tax the people. I had been told that I would have to be married by my eighteenth birthday and that scouts were already looking over candidates, but at the time I was not worried. Two months before my eighteenth birthday, I met the man I was to marry.  
  
"He was a handsome prince from some faraway country and he had a very pleasant outward manner. He charmed me from the start. However, as the wedding drew closer, I began to see a side of him I did not like. I told my parents, but they paid me no mind. So, on the day before the wedding, I ran away, and this is the first time I have ever returned." Tears had not yet fallen, but they seemed ready to.  
  
Trangan's face had a very angry look about it. "You lied to me. Everything you told me was just a lie. How could you do that to me? To Felnei?" His voice was hard, but he was not yelling, yet.  
  
"Yes, I lied, and I am sorry about it, but if I had to go through our first meeting again, I would not tell you anything different. And as for Lady Felnei, she knew everything. However, I could not tell anyone else about my past for a good reason, and that reason was to protect Lady Felnei.  
  
"You see, many people want me dead, because even though I ran away from my royal duties, I am still the queen of Tentia regardless. It was my job to guard Lady Felnei with my life and if anyone knew about my being the queen, well, they would capture Lady Felnei and hold her for ransom; the ransom being me."  
  
"So, that's why Felnei was taken. Because of you!"  
  
"Yes, because of me. I don't know how people found out about me, but they obviously did, since when Felnei was captured, the captors left a note saying they wanted my head in exchange for Felnei."  
  
Dacian interrupted. "So, why go after you? I am the ruler of Tentia now, not you. Why are you the one they want?"  
  
"Because, I am a woman and the true ruler of Tentia. If they just go after you, I can still take over. They know that if I did, the kingdom would become much stronger and I would be hard to uproot. If they take me out first, you have nothing to fall back on, and you, no offense, are not a very strong leader. I admit that you have done a good job of ruling this city, but you are a man, and men can be manipulated much more easily. This has been proven many a time."  
  
Trangan was nearly fuming. "Like you manipulated me."  
  
Dracia took in a quick breath and realized that Trangan was correct. But she wished that he weren't. She did not want to lose his friendship, his kindness. She had grown attached to him. She loved--- She mentally shook her head. She barely knew him two months ago, so how could she feel that way for him? But, there was no other feeling to describe what she felt.  
  
"Trangan, I never meant to manipulate you, I only wanted to protect you. These words are hollow, you probably think, but to hell with that! This is the goddamned truth! If you had gotten too close to me, you would have gotten hurt, and I see that you are hurt anyway. And, I was an idiot and screwed up my plan, because I got attached to you, I began to feel things for you. I love you!" She retracted immediately from the realization at what she had just told him. Tears fell down her cheeks uncontrollably. She took one look at Trangan's shocked face and lost it. She fled from the room, weaving through various passages, finally finding her room, left as she remembered it. She went inside, shut the door, and fell on her bed, crying to no end.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Trangan stood in the spot he had been in when he yelled at Dracia, bearing a very shocked and confused look. Had Dracia just said that she loved him? He must have heard what she said wrong, but the line ringed loudly and clearly through his head: "I love you!" That small phrase had stopped his anger dead, as had it stopped his body. Every fiber of anger he had felt only moments before had dissipated into nothingness.  
  
Everyone had shocked looks upon their faces. They heard what Dracia said just as clearly. Dracia never seemed the type of person to feel love and what she had said to Trangan made their thoughts of her turn upside down. They never expected it.  
  
A sharp thud rang through the room. They all turned around to see what the noise was. Trangan was on his knees, still with his shocked look. What she had said must have been too much for him. Taresin and Kanshei, finally fed up with this, walked over to Trangan. Kanshei lifted Trangan up by his shirt collar and made him stand. In an instant, Trangan was back on the floor, but not for the same reason. He stood back up and noticed Taresin looked pissed. She had punched him across his face. "Trangan, you are an idiot! Why did you just stand there? Oh yes, we know what Dracia said shocked you, but you did not need to stay here for all this time!"  
  
"What?" He was confused.  
  
Taresin almost hit him again, but refrained. "Dracia said she loved you! She ran off right after she said it and you just stood there! She was crying and is probably crying even more right now! Don't you feel the same way about her?"  
  
Trangan almost said "what" again, but understood this time. How did he feel for her? He must not have hated her, not even now, for his anger went away in an instant. Like was too weak of a word. "Yes," he whispered to himself. "Yes!" Everyone heard. He did love her, though his mind was still not clear on the why part of that fact.  
  
"Then get your ass in gear and go comfort her!" Trangan responded immediately, asked where she would go, and then proceeded to find her.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Her pillow was soaking with her tears and was still being soaked. She was curled up on the large bed, crying. Why did she have to tell Trangan that? That was a hidden thing, but it came out. Oh well, he already hated her enough as it was.  
  
The door creaked open and then shut softly. Someone walked slowly over to her. She ignored them and kept crying. The person stood a few feet from the foot of her bed. "Dracia, please get up and let me talk with you." It was Trangan's voice.  
  
"Why do you want to talk with me? I manipulated you, remember?" She still cried softly.  
  
This was a side of Dracia he had never even imagined seeing. He would have to be gentle when he spoke. "I wasn't thinking at the time and I feel like an idiot. Please, Dracia, I want to talk with you face to face."  
  
Reluctantly, Dracia pushed herself out of bed, stood up, and walked over to Trangan. His face had changed. It was now sad with watery eyes. "Thank you. Dracia, I didn't mean to yell at you. I just reacted on impulse, not giving you the courtesy you deserved. I am so sorry."  
  
Tears ran slowly down her cheeks still. "You have no need to be sorry. I lied to you and I understand why you were angry."  
  
"But telling me who you really were took courage. You knew I would react that way, yet you still told me."  
  
"I had to. And, you should not take any blame for this. It was my responsibility to tell you who I really was. Now you know who I am, so I don't expect you to do any more than talk to me this one time."  
  
Trangan stepped closer to her. "I don't care."  
  
"What?" Trangan stepped close to her and placed his right hand on her cheek, stroking loose strands of hair.  
  
"I don't care that you lied to me. I don't care that you're a queen. I don't care about any of it. All I care about is your feelings and how much I hurt them just a while ago. I never should have done that. You have feelings, the same as every other person, and I should have realized that. Dracia, I love you." He tilted her head and kissed her cheek, working his way to her lips. When their lips met, they shared a short kiss, and then they broke away. "Dracia, do you truly feel the same way about me?"  
  
She didn't have to even think about it. "Yes." This time, they kissed for a long period of time.  
  
Trangan's hands moved gradually from her face, down her chest and to the bottom of her shirt. He slowly moved his hands underneath the fabric and up her body. Her abdomen was smooth and soft, velvety almost. He continued up her body until he reached her breasts. Feeling the rounded flesh, he retracted his hands slightly. She had no underclothes on, like she usually did. This would prove much easier, since he would not have to delicately peel off every layer of clothing. He moved his hands up again and stroked the inside of her breasts and moved up to her neck. This would be the easiest way to remove her shirt.  
  
As Trangan moved up her shirt, she felt around his waist for the top of his pants. They were easy to find. She took both of her index fingers, one on each side of his waist, and tucked them into the top, slowly working them downward. As she pulled them down, she moved her hands to the front of his pants, making it a bit easier to pull them down. Her hands brushed up against flesh, but it was not either leg. She smiled and continued to pull his pants down.  
  
They had temporarily stopped kissing, making it much easier to remove clothes. Trangan pulled off Dracia's shirt at nearly the same time s Dracia pulled off his pants. It seemed Trangan had not been wearing underclothes either.  
  
Next, they shoved off each others boots, letting Trangan's pants fall to his feet. Dracia worked on Trangan's shirt, feeling the rippling muscles as she worked her way up. Trangan took his time with her pants, slowly pulling them down. His shirt fell to his side. He was now completely naked, but Dracia still had her pants on. He sped up his pace and removed them.  
  
The last thing to be removed was Dracia's hair ribbon. When that was taken out, golden hair fell to her waist. Trangan looked at her with a longing. She looked like an angel.  
  
He lifted her up gently and placed her on the bed, kneeling beside her. She looked so graceful, so harmless without her clothes on. Her armor always made her appear strong and powerful. But, although she had a hard shell, she was soft and silky on the inside. His body tensed up in desire for her and he could tell her body had done the same. His whole being knew this was right, that he and Dracia were right, that no one would ever be able to compare to her in any way.  
  
She breathed slowly, trying to calm her body down, but her heart beat too fast. She wanted this so badly, yet she wanted it to be a mutual want, not just her own desire. She hoped her body pleased Trangan, that it did not deter him in any way. Trangan inched closer to Dracia and wrapped his right arm around her neck, clutching a large handful of her golden hair in his hand. He searched her eyes for any hesitance, and found nothing but desire. He brought her lips up to his and gently kissed them. Her tongue pressed at his, wanting to dance with his. He obliged and their tongues mingled and played with each other. Just kissing her made his desire burn hotter and faster than he though possible.  
  
He knew this was not the first time Dracia had been with a man, for with beauty such as hers, how could any man resist her? However, he did not care about that. She loved him, not some other man, and that was all he needed to be happy.  
  
Dracia trailed her hand down Trangan's well-sculpted chest, running her fingers down slowly and teasingly. She went beyond his chest and abdomen and stroked him softly. He moaned lightly as she ran her fingers up and down, but he did not break the kiss.  
  
Trangan did not want to tease Dracia, for she did not deserve that. She deserved to get what she wanted when she wanted it. He leaned Dracia back to the bed, keeping their lips together, and slowly moved inside of her. Dracia broke away from the kiss abruptly with a gasp. Trangan withdrew himself from her, thinking that he may have been wrong about her being with someone else. He may have hurt her. "Dracia, did I hurt you?" He stroked her fine hair.  
  
Dracia's body was tense with anticipation. She needed him now. "No, and don't you dare stop." They resumed their kiss and Trangan made his way back inside of her. Each stroke he made inside of her elicited a moan or gasp from Dracia. Soon, Dracia began movements of her own, eliciting the same moans and gasps from Trangan.  
  
They danced well past midnight, their bodies not wanting to separate. Climaxes had drained much of their energy, but when they could no longer continue, they laid on the bed, still connected. They kissed each other softly and fell asleep in each other's arms.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Trangan woke and saw Dracia was still beside him, but she had separated from his body. It was not the most comfortable position the sleep in anyway. He stroked her hair lightly and felt happy. For the first time in years, he felt completely happy and nothing bothered him. He felt as if he could deal with anything now.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A/N I re-did this chapter because the sex scene sounded kind of fake the first time around, so I hope this sounds a lot better. And thanks go to Chaosrayne for suggesting a part in that scene. 


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